South African Municipal Workers' Union | |
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| Founded | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Location | |
Members | 160,000 |
Key people | Nelson Mokgotho, President Koena Ramatlou, General Secretary Papikie Mohale, National Spokesperson |
| Affiliations | COSATU, PSI |
| Website | www.samwu.org.za |
The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) is the largest union in local government in South Africa.
The union was founded on 24 October 1987, when the Municipal Workers' Union of South Africa merged with the Cape Town Municipal Workers' Association (CTMWA), and the municipal workers' sections of General Workers' Union of South Africa, South African Allied Workers' Union and Transport and General Workers' Union. All of these unions were affiliates of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, to which SAMWU also affiliated. In later years, SAMWU absorbed the Durban Indian Municipal Employees' Society and the Union of Johannesburg Municipal Workers. [1]
Initially, the union grew rapidly, and by 1994 it had 100,410 members, 31.3% of all eligible workers. [2] The union led opposition to privatisation schemes, and was particularly active in opposing the privatisation of a water treatment plant in Johannesburg. In 2002, it led a national three-week strike for higher wages. [3]
In 2009, the union's leadership was voted out, and disagreements around this led the Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers' Union of South Africa and the Municipal and Allied Trade Union of South Africa to split away over the next few years. [3] The leadership lost a vote of confidence in 2019 and were replaced. The new leaders found that the union was insolvent, with some having been spent on legal costs and some was used for inappropriate purposes. In addition, membership was in decline. [4] [5] In 2020, the union declared that it might withdraw support for the African National Congress government. [6]
Membership of the union is open to South African workers employed, directly or indirectly, in local authorities, water utilities and allied undertakings of the economy whether in the public, private or voluntary sector, including: public administrative services in municipalities and local authorities, health and social services, libraries, cultural and other community services, water and sanitation, solid-waste management and environmental services, road construction and storm-water drainage, electricity generation and distribution, public transportation and traffic control, telecommunication and information services, scientific and technical services, and parks and recreation.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions is a trade union federation in South Africa. It was founded in 1985 and is the largest of the country's three main trade union federations, with 21 affiliated trade unions.
Public Services International (PSI) is the global union federation for workers in public services, including those who work in social services, health care, municipal services, central government and public utilities. As of November 2019, PSI has 700 affiliated trade unions from 154 countries representing over 30 million workers.
The Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front, formerly known as the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation (ZabFed), is a platformist–especifista anarchist political organisation in South Africa, based primarily in Johannesburg. The word zabalaza means "struggle" or "active rebellion" in isiZulu, isiXhosa, siSwati and isiNdebele. Initially, as ZabFed, it was a federation of pre-existing collectives, mainly in Soweto and Johannesburg. It is now a unitary organisation based on individual applications for membership, describing itself as a "federation of individuals". Historically the majority of members have been people of colour. Initially the ZACF had sections in both South Africa and Swaziland. The two sections were split in 2007, but the Swazi group faltered in 2008. Currently the ZACF also recruits in Zimbabwe. Members have experienced oppression in South Africa and Swaziland.
Anarchism in South Africa dates to the 1880s, and played a major role in the labour and socialist movements from the turn of the twentieth century through to the 1920s. The early South African anarchist movement was strongly syndicalist. The ascendance of Marxism–Leninism following the Russian Revolution, along with state repression, resulted in most of the movement going over to the Comintern line, with the remainder consigned to irrelevance. There were slight traces of anarchist or revolutionary syndicalist influence in some of the independent left-wing groups which resisted the apartheid government from the 1970s onward, but anarchism and revolutionary syndicalism as a distinct movement only began re-emerging in South Africa in the early 1990s. It remains a minority current in South African politics.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) is a trade union in South Africa. With a membership of 276,000 it is the largest public sector union in the country. It organizes State, Health, Education and Welfare workers.
The Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union (IMATU) is a trade union in South Africa. It has a membership of 105,000 and is the largest politically independent trade union in the local government sector.
The Workers and Socialist Party (WASP) is a Marxist and Trotskyist political party in South Africa affiliated to International Socialist Alternative.
The Trade Union International Public Service and Allied is a section of the World Federation of Trade Unions representing public sector workers.
The South African Railways and Harbours Union was formed by black workers of the South African Railways and Harbours Administration after they had been expelled from the National Union of Railway and Harbour Servants.
The Workers' Library and Museum was a non-profit labour service organisation (LSO) active in Johannesburg, South Africa between 1987 and the early 2000s. The organisation provided a meeting and learning centre for labour activists as well as students from the nearby Alexandra and Soweto areas. In 1994, it was expanded into the Workers and Museum in Newtown, Johannesburg, with the only museum in South Africa focussed on working people other than the Slave Lodge, Cape Town.
The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) was a trade union representing transport workers, and at times workers in other sectors, in South Africa.
The General and Allied Workers' Union (GAWU) was a general union in South Africa.
The Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union (HARWU) was a trade union representing hospitality workers in South Africa.
The Cape Town Municipal Workers' Association (CTMWA) was a trade union representing local government workers in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Municipal Workers' Union of South Africa (MWUSA) was a trade union representing local government workers in South Africa.
The Post and Telecommunication Workers' Association (POTWA) was a trade union representing workers in the communications industry in South Africa.
The General Workers' Union of South Africa (GWUSA) was a general union in South Africa.
The South African Association of Municipal Employees (SAAME) was a trade union representing local government workers in South Africa.
The South African Equity Workers' Association (SAEWA) is a general union in South Africa.
The Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers' Union of South Africa (DEMAWUSA) is a trade union representing workers employed by local authorities and state governments in South Africa.
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